Miracle on Kildaire Farm Road

I'm writing this entry in mid-March of 2008, several months after a festive Christmas season. However, the movie "Miracle on 34th Street" is in the forefront of my mind. You may recall that, in the movie, Kris Kringle (Santa Claus at Macy's Department Store) suggests to a shopper at Macy's that a toy for which she is searching is not available from his employer, but rather at Gimbal's Department Store (a Macy's competitor). The shopper is thrilled that she can find the toy and good will is spread as both Gimbal's and Macy's make the customer's needs and wishes their number one priority.

Several months ago, a customer came into Anytime Wines looking for a wine that we didn't have. I'll admit that I'm not sure why I did it, but I picked up the phone and called our friendly competitor Great Grapes a few miles up Kildaire Farm Road to see if they had the wine for the customer...and they did.

Some time after that incident, Anytime Wines received a call from Great Grapes. They had a customer who was looking for a Torrontes; a varietal not necessarily considered at popular item during winter months. We had a few bottles of Santa Julia Torrontes and our friends at Great Grapes sent the customer down Kildaire Farm Road to Anytime Wines.

There have been a few other instances where we have suggested to our customers that they visit Great Grapes or Wine Merchant or Seaboard, and the amazing thing is that we don't lose those customers forever, but rather they turn into customers who appreciate the service that an independent wine retailer offers.

I saw the owner of Great Grapes at an industry event in Durham recently and we spoke briefly of this type of reciprocal respect. I truly believe that neither of us looks on it as a disingenuous tactic practiced only for the appearance of commercial chivalry. However, we both realize that the teenager bagging your groceries at Harris Teeter can't suggest to you the best wine to pair with salmon with a blood orange sauce; we both realize that the cashier at Trader Joe's can't explain the differences in flavor profiles between a California Pinot Noir, an Oregon Pinot Noir, or a Burgundian Pinot Noir and which one would best satisfy your Holiday dinner guests; we both realize that the cashier at Total Wine can't suggest the best Cabernet to go with your rib-eye steak because he hasn't chosen the wines to go on the shelf, rather those wines are chosen at a corporate office.

It is your independent wine retailer who tastes the wines he brings into his shop. It is your independent wine retailer who choses wines with his customers and his community in mind. It is your independent wine retailer who spends his time educating himself so he can better serve his customers.

Yes, Anytime Wines and Great Grapes are competitors, but both shops are staffed with folks who enjoy wine, enjoy learning about wine, and, most of all, enjoy sharing wine with our customers. By fostering a love and appreciation for fine wines, by offering to our customers interesting and unusual wines, we are happy that we support wineries and wine-makers who carry on centuries-long traditions of creative, expressive, and artistic wine-making.

As anyone who knows me will tell you, I'm not overly humble; I believe Anytime Wines is a great wine shop and we want to earn your loyalty and support. However, if we don't have it, ask us to suggest another wine retailer who'll take good care of you the way we do.

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